In an age when philosophers had scarcely glimpsed the horizons of the mind, a boy named Aristocles decided to forgo his ambitions as a wrestler. Adopting the nickname Plato, he embarked instead on a life in philosophy. In 387 BC he founded the Academy, the world’s first university, and taught his students that all we see is not reality but merely a reproduction of the true source. And in his famous Republic he described the politics of “the highest form of state.”

In Plato in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of Plato’s life and ideas and explains their influence on man’s struggle to understand his existence in the world. The book also includes selections from Plato’s work, a brief list of suggested reading for those who wish to delve deeper, and chronologies that place Plato within his own age and in the broader scheme of philosophy.

The 90 Minutes series includes brief but authoritative interpretations of the world’s greatest thinkers, deciphering philosophical thought in an entertaining and accessible fashion and making it comprehensible and interesting to almost everyone.

Download and start listening now!

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Quotes & Awards

“Well-written, clear, and informed, they have a breezy wit about them. I find them hard to stop reading.”

New York Times

“Each of these little books is witty and dramatic and creates a sense of time, place, and character…I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one’s friends to Western civilization.”

Boston Globe

“Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise.”

Wall Street Journal

Listener Opinions

Gail Thompson | 1/2/2014

" An introduction to his philosophy. "

Bo | 11/16/2013

" Another good introduction to Plato's thinking. His ideas can be useful but easily corrupted. Plato is a little too totatlitarian for me. "

Sherene | 11/4/2013

" A very short but interesting book. I never knew he was such a fascist. He believed in subordinating your entire individuality to the state and obeying your leaders without question. "

Tammy | 6/28/2013

" Just can't get enough in this short of a book "

Tra-Kay | 3/13/2013

" For some reason I didn't find this one as entertaining as the others I've listened to (Aristotle and Wittgenstein). What I gained from it was a sort of vague dislike of Plato as a person, which might just be a reflection of Strathern's feelings to some extent. "

Maxfield | 3/5/2013

" love Paul Strathern "

James Payne | 9/20/2012

" I don't know, didn't last 90 minutes. Lots of typos. "

Emil NuÃ±ez | 7/12/2012

" Short and informative. Can't ask for anything more. "

Maggie | 5/28/2012

" still replete with snide remarks rather than substance of life and thoughts of plato, but also with a fair amount of substance with this philosopher. "

Carlos Burga | 3/28/2012

" Really good crash course on Plato, it hits all the main points and lays out his ideas without being overly verbose. "

Jimmy | 3/16/2012

" Nice easy to read book that focuses mostly on Plato's life. Has some interesting facts in it. Connecting Plato to Hitler and Stalin is a bit over the top however. "

Jose | 2/7/2012

" strathern does it again..excellent. "

Timothy McNeil | 12/9/2011

" Strathern doesn't bother to give The Republic the attention it deserves, deciding that more time spent on the history of the era better explains the philosophical contributions of Plato. I don't know if I agree with that, but I think (given how short these books are) he gets much accomplished. "

Joseph Young | 10/9/2011

" Seems like a decent summary of Plato for 90 minutes. Felt like there was a lot left out, even though I don't know much about Plato. "

Kim | 4/26/2011

" This is great for what it is. :) "

Jimmy | 3/24/2011

" Nice easy to read book that focuses mostly on Plato's life. Has some interesting facts in it. Connecting Plato to Hitler and Stalin is a bit over the top however.
"

James | 3/3/2011

" I don't know, didn't last 90 minutes. Lots of typos.
"

Carlos | 7/20/2010

" Really good crash course on Plato, it hits all the main points and lays out his ideas without being overly verbose.
"

Sherene | 5/6/2010

" A very short but interesting book. I never knew he was such a fascist. He believed in subordinating your entire individuality to the state and obeying your leaders without question.
"

Other Titles by Paul Strathern:

About the Author

Paul Strathern earned a degree in philosophy at Trinity College, Dublin, and has lectured in philosophy and mathematics. The author of many nonfiction books and of articles for numerous publications, he has also written several novels and has won the Somerset Maugham Prize. He lives and writes in London.

About the Narrator

Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and an AudioFile Golden Voice with fifty-eight Earphones Awards. He has won thirteen prestigious Audie Awards and was Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London.

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